Album Review: Gnash Rambler – Self Titled

Vancouver’s Gnash Rambler was formed back  in 2007 from the ashes of various Vancouver bands, including Betty Kracker, Pet Fairies, Facepuller, Little Guitar Army, Aging Youth Gang and The Strugglers. The band have now unleashed their latest release, the self titled self released album came out a few days ago, on the 31st march 2017, and it’s now available via Gnash Rambler‘s Bandcamp and through all the main digital retailers and streaming services.

From the off Gnash Rambler remind me of a more melodic version of Vancouver’s most famous punk sons, DOA, maybe there’s something in the water in Vancouver? There’s a touch of rock that surfaces here and there, but not too much, in places you pick up influences from the likes of Motorhead, and to my ears the track Doin’ It All Wrong has a distinct influence from The Who, but for the main part this is an album that’s informed by the sounds of the early punk scene. The stand out moment on the album is the lead single, Man Over, a furious slice of punk rock that bears a fair influence from Danzig and his tenure in The Misfits, and the album ends with a revved up cover of The Gun Club‘s Sex Beat, well it’s almost the end, there’s a bonus track tagged onto the album, a radio friendly version of the track Bad Karma for those of a more sensitive disposition.

Gnash Rambler‘s self titled full length is twelve tracks of straight up punk rock whose influences are worn firmly, and proudly, on their sleeves. Gnash Rambler have produced an album that is born of the early days of punk rock, and of the bands that came before, whilst this is an album that treads a well worn path it does so with a self assured swagger. For those with a preference for punk’s halcyon days, and the garage and rock bands from the 60’s and 70’s who were considered to be ‘proto punks’, then Gnash Rambler would be well worth investigating.

Gnash Rambler‘s self titled album can be streamed and purchased here and their Facebook page is here